Choosing Green Stove Cooktops

Stove cooktops, come in many varieties and they are one element of your green kitchen design that shouldn’t be overlooked.  When you are trying to create an eco-friendly kitchen, every little bit counts so choosing a cooktop that is energy-efficient but also meets your culinary needs is critical.

There are basically two types of cooktops – gas and electric – and the cook in your family may prefer one over the other. Most cooks prefer the ease of use and control of a gas stove while others like the sleek appearance and easy cleaning abilities of an electric stove.

Gas stoves are heated with either natural gas or propane bot of which are fossil fuels and are not very eco-friendly.  However, the electricity used to heat electric stoves is predominantly generated in coal burning power plants which also is not eco-friendly. So when it comes right down to it, the search for an eco-friendly cooktop boils down to how efficient it’s energy usage is.

Green Stove Cooktops – Gas VS Electric

Unfortunately, I’m going to have to disappoint everyone who loves to cook on a gas cook top and tell you right now that an electric cooktop is going to be more eco-friendly – hands-down.  However, if you simply must have a gas cook top you want to choose one that has the lowest BTU that you can find as this will be the most energy-efficient.

Electric Cooktop Choices

When it comes to electric cooktops, there’s a huge variety and price range of choices out there, but you basically will find three different kinds – stoves that are heated through induction, stoves that are heated with halogen elements, and electric coil stoves.

Induction Cooktops - induction cooktops are the newest technology and the most energy-efficient so if you’re serious about your green kitchen you really want to consider one of these even though they will be the most expensive. These stove tops transfer heat directly to your pots and pans using electromagnetic energy.  The drawback is that you have to use mental cookware – cast iron, stainless steel or enamel will work but glass and aluminum will not.

Halogen Cooktops – cooktops heated with halogen elements have a flat surface and are easy to clean. They are not quite as energy-efficient as the induction cooktops and can actually be a bit wasteful if your pans are not totally flat because the heat is only transferred to the pan when it is in direct contact with the cooktop.

Electric Coils – these old-fashioned stoves are the least energy-efficient using twice as much energy as the induction cooktops. Not only that, but they’re very difficult to clean. Of course, they will be the least expensive but they won’t do much to increase the value of your kitchen or help the environment.

So when choosing stove cooktops for your green kitchen, it’s really a matter of weighing your cooking preference and your budget against how green you want to be.

Related posts:

1. Choosing Faucets For a Green Kitchen Design
2. Options For Formaldehyde Free Kitchen Cabinets
3. Green Kitchen Design
4. Green Kitchen Tips That Don’t Cost A Lot
5. Eco Friendly Kitchen Appliances